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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22619905">and indeed there will be time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tunemyart/pseuds/tunemyart'>tunemyart</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Xena: Warrior Princess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 08:17:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,182</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22619905</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tunemyart/pseuds/tunemyart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"I’m just so glad that Gabrielle’s back, and with everything recently it’s just hit me that there’s no guarantee that she will be forever, and... and I just finally want to tell her that… that I love her.” </p><p>His voice had gotten very small by the end as he stared down at his hands wringing his hat. Amarice’s peals of laughter made him look up indignantly, and something on his face - probably something incredibly intimidating - made her stop mid-laugh. </p><p>“Oh,” she said, round-eyed. “You’re serious?” </p><p>---</p><p>An oblivious Joxer seeks out Amarice's, Eli's, and Xena's advice on how best to finally confess his love for Gabrielle during 5x02, "Chakram". (I.e., what actually happened but in a world slightly less governed by the constraints of lesbian subtext.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gabrielle/Xena, Unrequited Gabrielle/Joxer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>129</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>and indeed there will be time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Did I think this would be the first in progress thing I'd finish? No, but it was the shortest one, so here is a (mostly) very silly fic. Poor Joxer. (Also look, you guys know me, I'm physically incapable of not writing X/G schmoop so it's there at the end.)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Amarice,” Joxer said as the thought occurred to him, “you’re a woman.” </p><p> </p><p>Amarice fixed him with an incredulous look. “What, did you just figure that out or were you going somewhere with that?” </p><p> </p><p>“No!” Joxer sputtered. “I mean yes! I mean… I guess I was just wondering… I mean…” He hesitated while Amarice looked on expectantly. “Since Gabrielle and Xena died, I just don’t want to take things for granted anymore, you know?” </p><p> </p><p>The incredulity was starting to creep back into her expression. “So help me, if this is going where I think it’s going - “</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not!” Joxer hastened to assure her, mostly because he had no idea where she thought it was going.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” she said, clearly unconvinced, and crossed her arms. “Go on then.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve had… certain feelings… for a certain woman… for a long time.” </p><p> </p><p>“Faster, Joxer,” Amarice prompted. </p><p> </p><p>“Fine! I’m just so glad that Gabrielle’s back, and with everything recently it’s just hit me that there’s no guarantee that she will be forever, and... and I just finally want to tell her that… that I love her.” </p><p> </p><p>His voice had gotten very small by the end as he stared down at his hands wringing his hat. Amarice’s peals of laughter made him look up indignantly, and something on his face - probably something incredibly intimidating - made her stop mid-laugh. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” she said, round-eyed. “You’re serious?” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” </p><p> </p><p>“Joxer,” Amarice said very kindly - too kindly for Amarice. “You know Gabrielle loves Xena, right?” </p><p> </p><p>“Of course I know that,” Joxer scoffed, offended. “Everyone knows that.”</p><p> </p><p>“But… you’re still gonna go through with this?” </p><p> </p><p>There was that confusion in her voice again, and he rolled his eyes. “Just because Gabrielle loves Xena doesn’t mean she can’t love me, too. I’m an understanding guy! I know Xena comes first for her. Always will. I get it.” </p><p> </p><p>Amarice snorted, still looking at him warily. “Even if Gabrielle was the type to go for it, I think Xena would be a lot less accommodating than you. She’s not really somebody who shares. Look, Joxer, maybe you should just keep this one to yourself, okay?” </p><p> </p><p>Joxer could tell he wasn’t going to get any advice out of her, and didn’t especially want to spend the next half hour being told how bad an idea this was. </p><p> </p><p>“Sure,” he said. “I guess.” </p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
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</p><p>Eli was next on his list - the guy was all about love, right? And he clearly loved Gabrielle too, so maybe he’d have some <em> actual, decent, applicable </em> pointers, unlike <em> some </em>people he’d already talked to. </p><p> </p><p>“You don’t need my help,” Eli said with a small smile when Joxer had explained. “Just speak from your heart.” </p><p> </p><p>Honestly, Joxer was about two seconds away from just trying to get Aphrodite’s attention. She liked Gabrielle, right? And she’d sure have something better for him to try than ‘speak from your heart’. Maybe some kind of jewelry, or flowers, or something else pretty. Women liked those things, or so he’d heard.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe I could give her - “ he started to think out loud, but Eli cut him off. </p><p> </p><p>“Just keep it simple and she’ll understand,” he said. “Love is the most powerful force on earth.” </p><p> </p><p>Well. A fat lot of good that did Joxer at the moment.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Which left Xena, who really he should have gone to first. Nobody loved Gabrielle more than Xena, right? Who better to give him advice?</p><p> </p><p>“You know how I feel about her,” Joxer said, though he was actually not at all sure that Xena currently had enough of her marbles left to remember the unspoken understanding that had existed between them for years. </p><p> </p><p>“Sure,” Xena said easily. “You love her.” </p><p> </p><p>Oh! Maybe this would be easier than he thought. “Great! So I was just thinking, that since you know her better than anyone, and, y’know… love her better than anyone, you could help me figure out how to tell her… that I love her? Like, in a romantic kind of way?” </p><p> </p><p>“How about you just tell her?” Xena offered, which was actually very Xena-like advice, if exactly as unhelpful as Eli's. “No strings, make it unconditional.” </p><p> </p><p>That was a spin on it, at least. “Is that what you did?” Joxer wondered aloud, actually curious before he realized that particular curiosity wasn’t necessarily exactly healthy. </p><p> </p><p>But Xena only shrugged. “You know? I can’t really remember.” </p><p> </p><p>She looked put out enough by it that Joxer immediately scrambled to cheer her back up. “Hey, you know, this was really helpful! And I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s not your actual memories starting to come back.” </p><p> </p><p>“Maybe,” she said glumly.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want me to find Gabrielle for you? You guys can talk? Maybe Gabrielle can remind you?” </p><p> </p><p>Xena shook her head and drew in on herself under the water. “Nah. I think it would just make her sad. Everything I say or do seems to make her sad right now.” </p><p> </p><p>There wasn’t much Joxer could say to that, but he gave it his best try anyway. “Hey now, I’m sure it’s not <em> everything. </em>” </p><p> </p><p>It made her smile wryly at least. “Thanks Joxer.”</p><p> </p><p>He smiled in return as he left her alone. So much for Xena not being understanding. What did Amarice know, anyway?</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When it was all over and Xena had gotten the rest of her memories back, Joxer wandered away from camp to distract himself from the fact that Gabrielle hadn’t responded to him yet. </p><p> </p><p><em> No strings, </em>he reminded himself. But what did that look on her face mean, anyway? He’d seen all kinds of faces Gabrielle had made over the years, and he couldn’t place if this was a good ‘you just surprised me and now I need to think about things’ kind of face or a bad ‘oh no I wish you hadn’t said anything' kind of face. </p><p> </p><p>But at that moment, Gabrielle’s voice drifted over to him.</p><p> </p><p>“What on earth were you thinking?” </p><p> </p><p>He froze, and very nearly blurted out <em>'I </em> <em> don’t know, I’m sorry’ </em>before another voice answered her.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know, I didn’t have my memories. Don’t blame me.” </p><p> </p><p>Xena. He relaxed. </p><p> </p><p>It was good to hear them back to their normal bickering selves. Joxer could almost pretend that the whole ordeal of the last few weeks had never happened at all and things were exactly as they had been for the past four years. </p><p> </p><p>If they’d snuck away from camp too, it was probably because they had some stuff to talk about. Joxer didn’t particularly want to confront Gabrielle right now anyway. It was an easy decision to creep away back towards the glow of the campfire in the distance before they spotted him. </p><p> </p><p>Xena listened to him go, not entirely unsympathetically, but wishing all the same that he hadn’t come to her for advice on how to confess his love for Gabrielle. He didn’t <em> know </em> , that much had been a given for almost all the years they’d known each other, but really - what <em> had </em>he been thinking? </p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t know! Gabrielle, whatever it was didn’t take away my love for you,” Xena tried again. “Just the context for it.”</p><p> </p><p>Unimpressed, Gabrielle crossed her arms and surveyed her from a short distance away. “Isn’t that kind of fundamental to the love itself?” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, that’s kind of my point, if you’re listening,” Xena said wryly. “Look. I don’t think there’s anything on earth that could take away how I feel for you. But I sure am glad that I remember the reasons for why I do again.”</p><p> </p><p>They’d been through worse and weirder things, and Xena knew that Gabrielle was more frustrated by this new complication with Joxer actually deciding to speak up on top of the immensity of everything that had come before it - death, prophecy, rebirth, eternity - than she was even truly upset. Well, not too upset, anyway. Well, not with Xena. A little light groveling and she’d be golden. </p><p> </p><p>Sure enough, Gabrielle sighed and put her hands on her hips. “You wanna… I don’t know… remind me of them while they’re still top of mind?” she suggested.  </p><p> </p><p>It prompted a smile from Xena. That much was easy enough. </p><p> </p><p>“Your strength,” she started. “Your determination. Your loyalty. Your goodness.”</p><p> </p><p>Gabrielle scoffed at that. “My goodness.” </p><p> </p><p>“Your goodness,” Xena repeated, and her smile broadened as she ran her fingertips teasingly down Gabrielle’s bare arm. “Your capacity for forgiveness… eventually.” That earned her a slap on the arm. “You know what’s right and you don’t shy away from it. You protect others without thinking of yourself.” </p><p> </p><p>“All of those are pretty abstract reasons to love me,” Gabrielle commented, but there was a genuine curiosity in her unasked question. </p><p> </p><p>“That was the reason I couldn’t keep my eyes off you the first time I saw you,” Xena admitted, her head ducked to hide a private smile. </p><p> </p><p>“What?” Gabrielle’s voice was somewhere between surprised and disbelieving. “You were busy fighting.” </p><p> </p><p>“I was busy fighting because one brave young woman inspired me to come out of hiding,” Xena told her. “And then, in what was definitely not my finest hour, I got knocked over when I was taking too long looking at you fighting tooth and nail to get away from one of Draco’s goons. You were scrappy, even then.” </p><p> </p><p>The warm glow that had come over Gabrielle’s face at Xena’s confession disappeared in a heartbeat. “Scrappy?” she repeated, offended. </p><p> </p><p>But Xena knew how to appease her. “It got me looking at you, though.” </p><p> </p><p>“Sure,” she said, but her tone communicated that Xena wasn’t entirely off the hook. “And what did you notice when you started looking?” </p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Xena drawled, stopping them to sidle slowly closer to Gabrielle until she loomed over her and Gabrielle had to tilt her head up, up to meet her eyes. “Your cute little nose.” </p><p> </p><p>“Hey!” </p><p> </p><p>“Your eyes. Your smile. No one had ever smiled that much around me. I’d forgotten what it was like to have someone around who wasn’t afraid of me - who even <em> liked </em>me, though I couldn’t imagine why.” </p><p> </p><p>Gabrielle took Xena’s hand at that, her expression softening. </p><p> </p><p>“Your breasts.” That one earned her a laugh and a slightly skeptical look, though Gabrielle didn’t release her hand. “That blue number you used to wear covered a lot but didn’t hide what you’ve got.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a fine one to talk, Miss I’ll Saunter Around Naked Whenever I Want,” Gabrielle accused her in turn. “You have no idea how much you confused me. For a year!” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, it all worked out in the end, didn’t it? Besides, I wouldn’t change a thing.” </p><p> </p><p>“Nothing?” Gabrielle pressed, her eyes searching Xena’s. </p><p> </p><p>“If it means not having you and me, right here, right now? No. Nothing.” Gabrielle’s eyes closed, and Xena caressed her cheek with her palm to keep her head tilted up towards her own eyes. “You’ve always been my protector. That’s what I noticed. Even if I couldn’t remember how.” </p><p> </p><p>“Xena,” Gabrielle murmured, just a hint of need and desperation threaded through her voice; but Xena could hear the untapped well behind it, and she answered it by pressing her lips to Gabrielle’s. Gabrielle responded as though she’d been deprived for lifetimes rather than days; and on her lips Xena tasted all the fear and death and eternity that those days had comprised. She wondered if it would be a permanent change. She wondered if Gabrielle could taste the same on her.</p><p> </p><p>“I was afraid,” Gabrielle gasped when they broke apart briefly, Xena leaning in to silence her again because she knew, she understood, she too had been afraid. She had been so afraid for so long, and then when her fears had been realized she had been afraid that this would be it, broken and staked to a cross and so, so cold while Gabrielle was dying and unreachable ten feet away. </p><p> </p><p>“I was too,” Xena admitted when they stopped again, forehead to forehead. There would be time to discuss all that later. All Xena wanted to do was exist with Gabrielle for a while. Hopefully the world and the gods wouldn’t find that too much for her to ask. </p><p> </p><p>“Xena, I want…” Gabrielle began, her hands already wandering unconsciously over Xena’s body. If they’d been alone - truly alone - Xena would have gratefully indulged her. That is, if she hadn’t already had Gabrielle braced between a tree and her own body with heat spiralling fast and frenetic between them, which was the more likely scenario. There would be time for that, too, Xena reminded herself.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah. Me too,” she sighed. “But we should probably get back before Joxer comes back.”</p><p> </p><p>Gabrielle paused in regretfully drawing herself back to look at Xena askance. “Joxer?” she demanded. “He was here?” </p><p> </p><p>“Not for long. Hey, give me some credit, I would have said something and made him skedaddle.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you would?” Gabrielle said, just this side of skeptical. “Well, it’s good to know you would in some situations, at least.” </p><p> </p><p>But her hand had caught Xena’s again as they turned their feet back to their camp. Xena smiled to herself. </p><p> </p><p>Light grovelling. There would be time.</p>
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